Brind'Amour weighs in on Lindros affair

RALEIGH, N.C. (CP) -- Rod Brind'Amour is able to watch the ugly Flyers-Eric Lindros controversy from a distance now.

Brind'Amour spent 81/2 years with the Flyers, before being traded Jan. 23, along with goaltending prospect Jean-Marc Pelletier and a second-round draft pick, for Keith Primeau, Carolina's unsigned Group II free agent, and a fifth-round pick.

Brind'Amour isn't shocked to see the long-contentious Lindros-Bob Clarke relationship burst into flames. Lindros blamed the team for not getting him out of the lineup after the suffered his latest concussion; general manager Clarke took away Lindros' captaincy after Lindros criticized Clarke and Flyers athletic trainer John Worley.

"It seems like there's been a lot of things over the years for one guy," Brind'Amour told the Philadelphia Daily News. "I like the stance they made, if they're saying they're going to try to treat everyone equally. You have to try to do that.

"At the same time, I know Eric, and he's a great individual. I always thought he took kind of a bad rap, because he always came to play."

Brind'Amour had his own medical controversy this season, coming back too soon to skate on a broken left foot in training camp and eventually needing surgery that sidelined him for the first 34 games, killing his NHL-leading streak of 484 successive games played.

Brind'Amour said he doesn't blame the Flyers' medical or training staff for his problems, and he doesn't agree with Lindros doing so.

"That, I don't agree with. I've known (Worley and conditioning coach Jim McCrossin) for years, they're top-notch. You won't find better in the league anywhere. That bothered me," Brind'Amour said.